Justin Gaethje claims lightweight interim UFC title after five-round brawl with Paddy Pimblett

In the main event at UFC 324 on Saturday night, Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett squared off in one of the most entertaining fights of the evening. It was an all-out war. Ultimately, Gaethe came out on top by unanimous decision.

The fight went the distance, with both fighters bloodying and bruising the other. Pimblett looked on the verge of collapse several times but stayed up and made it a thrilling contest.

“That f*****’s right. Scousers do not get knocked out,” Gaethje said after his title win. “That scouser does not get knocked out. What a f***** gangster. I told him right now, I said, ‘I was just where you were at not too long ago.’ It’s a crazy sport and a f***** amazing life and I’m so thankful to share it with you guys.”

Both fighters came out swinging in the first round, with Gaethje seeming to pick up a slight edge. He knocked Pimblett down and pummeled him at one point, before Pimblett bounced back and evened things up.

In the second round, Gaethje started to pick up some serious momentum as his heavy punches began to land more frequently. Pimblett landed more kicks to the lower body and had Gaethje off balance once or twice, but he couldn’t capitalize.

Just before the end of the second round, Gaethje pounded Pimblett up against the fence. He landed two brutal headshots just before the buzzer sounded, taking the fight to a third round.

Pimblett began to take more control in the third round. He did a much better job of holding his ground, rather than being chased off his spot by Gaethje. With a mixture of a jab and a kick, he landed some serious blows on Gaethje and began to swing the fight once again.

The broadcast team for Paramount+ noted that Gaethje appeared to be favoring his right hand midway through the third round, perhaps injuring it earlier in the fight. But he did land one unexpected shot with it toward the end of the third round.

But if Pimblett had the upper hand in the third round, it was Gaethje who took it back in the fourth round. He landed a number of heavy punches and Pimblett’s defense began to drop. Somehow the full five minutes ran, and the fight went to a fifth and final round.

The final round provided a flurry of exhausted blows in between grappling sessions, as each fighter looked for a knockout punch in between the action. Neither could land it, leaving Gaethje the win in scoring.